Gloucester's Afo Fasogbon Eyes England Selection After Impressive Form
Gloucester prop Afo Fasogbon, aged 21, stands 6ft4in tall and weighs around 130kg. He gained viral attention last year when he waved off Ellis Genge after a scrummaging duel at Kingsholm.
If Fasogbon makes a strong impact off the bench in Gloucester's upcoming Champions Cup match against Munster at Páirc Uí Chaoimh in Cork, he may enter discussions for England's tight-head selection. This is particularly significant given the limited options available, due to Will Stuart's Achilles injury and Asher Opoku-Fordjour's absence. The match in Cork follows Munster's 40-14 loss at Bath and promises to be an intense contest given the venue and current form.
Recently, Fasogbon posted a personal best in weight training with three back squat reps of 225kg, demonstrating his physical development. He grew up in Colindale, north London, progressing through London Irish’s academy, and believes rugby misses out on talent from state schools, advocating for greater school exposure.
Fasogbon has experience with England Under-20s and England A, with tours in Argentina and the United States, and has accumulated 15 career Premiership starts. Gloucester’s head coach George Skivington acknowledges Fasogbon's potential but emphasizes the need to tighten certain aspects of his game. England head coach Steve Borthwick views Fasogbon as early in his journey, advising him to aim for weekly incremental improvements of about 0.5%.
His family background includes his father Bobby, who runs a carpeting and furniture business, and his mother Olubunmi, who supports the mental wellbeing of hospital staff. Both are Nigerian, and they would be proud if Fasogbon earns his first senior England cap.
